William h



model.)

W. H. GIPFORD.

FOLDING ROGKING CHAIR.

No. 250,906; Patented 1386.151381.'

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES Pri-Timm. OFFICE.

WILLIAM GIFFORD, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GIFFORD FOLDING CHAIR COMPANY, OF SAMEV PLACE.

FOLDING ROCKlNG-CHAI R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,906, dated December 13, 1881.

Application filed March 2l, 1881. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. GIFFORD, of Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Rocking- Ohairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of chairs in which the rockers, legs,` arms, back, and

1o seat are so arranged with relation to each other that they may be folded together, when notin use, so as to occupy less space, and be more easily transported, either' singly or in quantities for shipping.

i5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 'l represents a cha-ir constructed according to my invention when in position for use. Fig. 2 is a front. or top View ofthe same when folded and not in use. Fig. 3 is a section taken in zo the line m m, Fig. l.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A represent the rockers; B B, the rear legs, and O C the front legs.` The lower ends of the legs B and C are pivoted to the rocker, with the rocker on the outer sides ot' both legs. The rear legs, B B, are connected by a brace, b, and the front legs, C O, by a brace, c.

D D represent the side rails of the seatframe, and E E the front and rear braces, which connect said rails to form the frame, and to which the fabric is attached to form the seat.

G G represent the side rails or posts of the 55 back, which are connected by braces g g.

The Lipper ends of the rear legs, B B, are pivoted to the rear ends of the seat-frame rails D D, on the outer side of each rail, and the front legs, C C, are pivoted about midway of 4o their length to about the middle of said seatframe rails, and also on the outer side of each rail. The upper ends ot' the front legs, O C,

are pivoted to the side rails or posts, G G, ofl

the back, about midway ofthe length of said rails or posts, and also on the outer side thereof, and thus form both arms for the chair, and also braces for the seat and back, in addition to performing the functions of legs.

The back is not pivoted to the rear legs or 5o the seat, as in chairs of this class as heretofore made, but is pivoted only to the upper ends of the bars G U, each of which constitutes the combined leg, arm, and brace. Instead of being pivoted tosaid rear leg or seat, the lower ends of the back rails. G G, when arranged for use, engage with the notches h L on the upper surf-.ice of the roar ends of the seatframe rails D I), and the greater the weight of the person occupying the chair the more firmly is the back held in place and in contact 6o with the seat.

When the chair is to be folded, pressure is applied to the points of junction of the rear legs,B, and seat-rails D, so as to first straighten them out and then bend them forward to aposition the reverse of that occupied when in use. By this simple motion the parts are made to fold together in the position shown in Figs.

2 and 3. I

As the rocker A is pivoted outside of the 7o legs B and C, said legs occupy the sameplane; and as the legs B and O are pivoted outside ofthe seat-rail D and back rail, G, said seat and back rails occupy the same plane. so that the chair when folded occupies less spacefrom front to rear than those made as heretofore; and, moreover, they can be packed for trans portation with greater safety, for the reason that the parts lie more uniformly against each other, and the pivots are notso much strained. 8o

If' it is desired to keep the chair permanently in position for use, provision may be made for preventing the disengagement ot'the back and seat by means of a hook and eye, or other suitable device.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A folding rocking-chair having its legs B C pivoted to the inside of rocker and the out- 9J side ot' seat-frame, the front legs being eX- tended upwardly and pivoted to the outside of back frame, and the said back frame engaging at its lower end with a notch at the rear ofthe seat-frame, as shown and described.

WILLIAM HENRY GIFFORD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS MGWHINNIE, GHARLEs W. BoUGH'roN. 

